


Proximity

by Austere_Cinere



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Female Protagonist, Gen, I'll add more tags as I figure out what I'm doing, Reader Is Not Frisk, Working title, monster hate, reader is...special
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-16 18:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12348051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Austere_Cinere/pseuds/Austere_Cinere
Summary: You were perfectly fine to stay away from society and ignore the impact the monsters had made on your world. You already had a lot to deal with. It wasn't your problem, right?Well, no. It wasn't, until you agreed to house six monsters on your property, away from anyone who could hurt them.You'd never been good at turning people down.





	1. The Favor

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! Thanks for clicking! Just so you know, this story will have moderate-to-heavy OC use, as well as OC backstory, but I'm going to do my best to focus on the relationship between the main monsters (cough, Sans, because he's such a complex character, cough).
> 
> And... we'll see where this goes, I guess!
> 
> Let me know if my writing seems really off, okay? It's late, pfft.

**One of your** favorite phrases was the good old two-word kicker: “beyond belief.” It fascinated you to no end, really – people were strange enough to be surprised when something went past their tiny, flawed perspectives. There humans were – so little and temporary – and they had the gall react with shock.

_Egad! Earth revolves around the Sun and not the other way around! Copernicus was right after all!_

_Impossible! The Titanic was supposed to be unsinkable!_

_Oh, dear… how could humanity sink so low? Eighteen million dead… it had to have been Germany’s fault!_

Aviation, beyond belief. Women’s rights, beyond belief. Two consecutive global conflicts, beyond belief.

Humans continued to be shocked and appalled.

Apparently, the universe wasn’t done just yet, because it yet another reveal to make. You still remembered the headlines:

 

**_Monsterkind Released from the Underground!_ **

And the riots still hadn’t stopped.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

**You were not** a terrible person by any definition – you’d never kicked a puppy, you’d never stolen an old woman’s bag, you hadn’t even run a single red light in your life. But you were cautious, and it was because of your self-preservation instincts that you decided there was _no way_ you were getting involved with monsters.

Now, you weren’t a monsterphobe. They seemed friendly enough, from what little you’d seen. Frightened and rightly so. But just because they were a little nice and a little frightened didn’t mean you were going to risk the media’s cold eyes and pressing crowds. Not on your _life._

Then your ~~nemesis~~ best friend knocked on your door, and you waved to your plans as they flew away into the sun.

You pulled the door open and squinted against the morning light. You must have looked a mess – hair sloppily pulled back, still dressed in wrinkled PJs. Luckily, Casey didn’t seem to notice or care. He greeted you with a hasty nod and far-too-wide eyes and, like a true gentleman, pushed his way into your living room.

_He_ looked like the mess here, come to think of it. You shut the door and yawned, waiting for him to speak.

“…Coffee?” he asked hopefully, once he got his breath back. _Of course._

“You’re ridiculous,” you replied, and went to go serve him a cup. Black with honey and a dash of vanilla was how he liked it. Casey was strange.

You set the mug down in front of him and he accepted it gratefully, shooting you a wan smile as he wrapped his hands around it. The silence between the two of you was comfortable, but you still wished he’d stop staring into his drink and start filling you in.

“Look, Schwarz,” he eventually sighed, “I need a favor.”

Never mind. The silence was good. You sighed.

“What do you need, Casey?” you asked wearily. The day had just _started_ , so why…

There was no good humor in his face when he looked up at you. If you’d been paying attention, you would have seen how white his knuckles were. As it was, he looked incredibly tense.

“You know about the monsters,” he said. You tilted your head in half-agreement. “And the temporary shelters. And the hate groups.”

You nodded. Much as you tried to ignore the noise, some news still seeped into your quiet little refuge. The situation didn’t look too grand.

“I’ve heard, yeah,” you answered evenly. “What about them?”

“We’ve managed to get the beginnings of a rudimentary community for them going, but the hate groups are constantly throwing a wrench in the works,” he explained, huffing bitterly. “It’s ridiculous, and risky. It’s a ton of paperwork for me, and it’s _those monsters’ heads_ if we can’t keep them safe. Monster hunters have gotten too close over the past few weeks and I can’t afford any more risks to their lives.”

You were silent, taking it all in. The conversation was pointing to an ultimatum that you weren’t sure you liked, and you contemplated telling him so. But Casey was your friend. You had to hear him out.

You settled for a slight grimace to show him that you weren’t entirely fond of his topic choice, but waved him on.

Casey nodded – to himself or at your expression, you weren’t sure. His hand came up to cover yours, a tic of his that you’d had years to become familiar with. He always grabbed your hand when he was about to get to the point.

“I _trust_ you, Schwarz. And believe me, if I had another option right now I'd take it, but I _don't_. But there’s a group of monsters that needs a place to stay and this is the safest place I can think of as of now. I need you to open your home to them. Please.”

Silence. His hand was gripping yours tightly, as if through sheer willpower he could make you eagerly accept. His eyes were unusually bright in their intensity and you didn't  (or couldn’t) look away.

_No_ , you wanted to say. _Absolutely not, Kaiser, you must be insane_ , you didn’t say. It was a staggeringly insane thing he was asking of you – he knew your reservations, he knew you were an introvert, and he knew the reason you stayed far away from people.

He had _been_ there with you throughout the reason.

You forced yourself to take in a breath and really _look_ at him, and for the first time you realized just how exhausted Casey looked. His usual energy was dim, subdued, and he looked like he hadn't properly slept in days.

In his line of work, uncontrollable empathy was generally regarded as a liability. But it had helped him perform at his best for years. He blamed himself when things went wrong, and you could see how much the monsters’ predicament was wearing on him.

You pursed your lips. Lord help you, you seemed to make a lot of regrettable choices around this man.

“I…” you began, and hesitated. “Fine. Fine, Casey. I can help you out.”

Genuine surprise flashed through his baby blues, and he sat up straighter than an Eagle Scout.

“You – you’re serious? I had a whole presentation lined up. I was going to make a documentary about life in the monster shelters. I was going to do interviews.” He laughed, breathy and not quite believing. Something in your face must have convinced him that you weren’t pranking him, though, because he launched into a small celebration, fist-pumping and hissing _yes!_ under his breath.  “You’re serious! Oh, man, you’re _really_ serious about this. That’s amazing! You don’t know how much I owe you, Schwarz!”

You held up a hand, stopping him short. The smile froze on his lips, brows furrowed as he quietly waited for the catch. He looked like a such a perplexed and almost wounded little kid that you felt a small twinge in your chest.

But you had to know: “I know you could have found someone else if you wanted, Casey. You’re unstoppable. So why _me_?”

Casey was three years older than you, but his determined, kind demeanor made him look so much younger. The understanding hardening his eyes defied his real age, though, and as he leaned back and surveyed you with a set jaw, he looked almost ancient.

He smiled at you sadly, and you understood.

“Because when the worst comes, you’ll be able to protect them.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You learn a little bit about your soon-to-be guests. Casey has to reassure you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Alright, the obligatory buildup should be nearly over now. Thanks, you guys! I didn't think anyone would look at this, honestly, pfft!))

 

**Casey J. Kaiser** , 27, worked for the enigmatic Anomalous Entity Task Force ( _AETF_ , he would tell you, _use the acronym_ ), performing what you imagined was a veritable _Men in Black_ routine on a daily basis.

You asked him once, when it was late and he decided to crash on your couch, when the two of you stayed up until dawn watching cheesy conspiracy documentaries and you felt more open about your childish curiosities.

_“So…are there_ really _aliens and stuff? Up there? Have you talked to one yet?”_

You still remembered his reaction because it _wasn’t_ the usual laugh at your silly notion that aliens were a thing. That time, he just tilted his head a bit and offered you a small, mysterious smile.

_“Oh, come on, Case, that’s not fair.”_ The sleepiness had made you sound petulant. _“Just tell_ _me about your job already, you big jerk.”_

_“Schwarz, you know I’d love to,”_ he had answered, grinning. _“But you understand that I’d have to kill you, right?”_

Yeah.

Right.

Which was why he was sitting on your counter, giving you a detailed brief of the _anomalous entities_ he’d been assigned to relocate.

Sure, Kaiser.

He’d left soon after you gave him the okay on his proposition, returning the next morning with a case file and a bit of sleep in his system.

Between bites of toast and swigs of coffee, he explained.

“Okay, so I’ve been on this assignment for about two months now,” he began, “and since then I’ve relocated four other monster families. That was a fair challenge; the families were small, so I actually didn’t need to do much. This group is one of the biggest I’ve seen, besides the dogs, and I think you should know that you really saved me here.”

“How many monsters?” you asked around a mouthful of eggs. A heads-up on the size of the party would be really nice.

Casey leaned back a bit, staring thoughtfully up at the ceiling.

“ _Originally_ , I had… mm, about eight. But two of them – Alphys and Undyne – found a place to stay with this family on the outskirts across town. So, that leaves…” The grown man set down his toast to finger count, showing you each finger as if it were the monster themselves.

“This is Asgore,” he said, wiggling his index finger. _What a dork._ “Friendliest goat I’ve ever met, very gentle. He’s king of the monsters, and he is _huge._ Really likes gardening, so I think you should give him full control of your sad little flowerbed.

“Then there’s Toriel. She’s Asgore’s ex-wife and former queen. She’s also a full-time mom figure, and she recently became a teacher in the local elementary school. She gave me a pie and I’ve never been so disappointed in any other food since.

“She and the next guy have a bit in common, because they both _love_ crummy jokes. Sans is a skeleton and quite possibly the calmest person I’ve ever met. Although…” Here Casey tapped his chin, narrowing his eyes a bit. “That _can_ be debatable, because sometimes I look at him and I swear he’s reading me like a book. It’s fascinating to watch.”

“Are you doing emotional evaluations on them already?” you asked, raising an eyebrow, and he snorted, shaking his head.

“ _That’s_ not my division, Schwarz. I’m the field guy, not the feels guy.” He continued. “Papyrus is Sans’ brother, and he’s what you get if you took pure joy and healthy self-esteem and concentrated it into six-and-a-half feet of bone. He’s like a kid superhero, honestly. Really makes you feel good about life. I like him.

“Then there’s the human.”

If your attention was piqued by the colorful descriptions of all these monsters, it was snagged by the mention of a human.

You considered. “I think I heard something about that. A human being found with all the monsters… there was a huge scene over it.”

Casey nodded. “Well, _that_ little kid – Frisk – is the official ambassador between monsterkind and humanity, believe it or not. They’re the icon of freedom within the culture. Everyone is super protective of them – it took me quite a bit of persuading for the others to let me near them in the first place. Frisk is a quiet sort of kid, you know. Can talk perfectly well but prefers using ASL.” He chuckled. “I had to break out so many textbooks.”

The fondness Casey had for the monsters was heartwarming, even though you’d never met a single one. He was a feeler for sure, despite what he said. You found yourself smiling despite yourself, when you registered something.

“You have six monsters in a group then, right?” you asked. “But you only mentioned five.”

Casey blinked. His mouth opened in a slight _o._

“Ah, right. I’m not sure if I count the violent houseplant.”

“The _what?”_

He waved his hands as if to encompass the entire concept. You furrowed your brow; while his gestures were animated, you still had no idea what he was trying to get at.

“Are you trying to use metaphors?” you asked flatly, and received an equally flat look.

“No, he’s – it’s not a metaphor, he’s a literal flower. Yellow petals, kind of cute. His name is Flowey, and he keeps to Frisk most of the time…” Casey grimaced, though you saw the bizarre amusement in his eyes. “I got to talk to him privately once. And for the next ten minutes I was verbally torn to _shreds_. Good fun.” He paused. “I’m not a psychologist, but he exhibits signs of acute sociopathy.”

“Oh.”

Well.

That made sense, you supposed.

What was even supposed to make sense to you anymore?

Casey, evidently finished counting, proceeded to finish off his toast and leap off the counter.

He dusted the crumbs off on his jeans and leaned next to you, grinning hopefully.

“That’s my group, then,” he said with a sharp nod. “They’re a lot more charming in person and they won’t cause you _too_ much trouble. Think you can handle it?”

_That sounds a little daunting,_ you wanted to say. _I changed my mind because you’re nuts_ , you didn’t say. You realized that this matter was important, and it was also important to Casey, which made it twice as important to you. But hearing about each individual monster made it even more real. Real people were scary. Real people could hurt you. _~~No, no, real people could~~_ ~~get _hurt and you needed to stay far, far, far away…_~~

You were shaken from your thoughts by a grim AETF agent setting his hands on your shoulders.

“Hey.” Oh, there was his _listen to me_ tone. You glanced up at him, seeing his contemplative expression. “Don’t start dwelling on coulds and what-ifs. I know I’m asking a lot of you. I know you’re scared that someone’s going to get hurt sooner or later. But I need you to actually listen to me and take this into account.

“ _You_ are strong enough to be gentle. And you are kind enough to protect. And I’ve never won a medal for being _logical_ , but there’s not a chance that I would let you host the Underground _monarchs_ and their ten-year-old kid if I thought for a second that you guys wouldn’t be safe.”

You laughed about it sometimes – that earnest intensity he carried, how he would get serious over even the smallest details – but when all was said and done, Casey’s words always made courage blossom in his heart.

He wasn’t a feeler, he said. What a liar.

“You…” You swallowed thickly, meeting his eyes and smiling slightly. “You’re ridiculous.”

Casey shrugged, a grin tugging his mouth up too.

“I am,” he agreed easily. “And I’m _also_ going to be with you every step of the way. They’re my monsters, after all.”

As daunting as the prospect was (six monsters! In your house! Besides the obvious social hurdles, there was food to worry about, sleeping arrangements! How were you going to swing that?), you found that he’d managed to soften it a bit. You thought you could manage it now. Probably.

“Okay,” you breathed. “Cool. I just have to straighten up and make sure I have rooms for everyone and get groceries…” A thought dawned on you. “When were you planning on bringing them, anyway?”

Casey rarely blushed, but he _did_ have one of the most expressive sheepish faces you’d ever seen.

“Oh. That’s important. Sorry, I totally blanked for a minute on that.” His fingers found yours and he smiled, probably more placidly than he had any reason to. “Schwarz, love, these were _extremely_ last-minute arrangements. I mean, I got tacked onto this group with no warning. So, I’m going to have to say – _don’t look at me like that_ – that they’ll be ready the day after tomorrow…?”

‘The day after tomorrow.’

That gave you one day. One. _Barely_ over twenty-four hours.

Oh, that was _glorious._ Just fantastic.

Scowling in something between frustration and worry, you did the mature thing: reached over and shoved him. He went down with a surprised gasp.

“Casey _Josiah_ Kaiser, give me one reason why I shouldn’t boot you out the front door.”

Startled, Casey sat up and raised his hands defensively.

“If you kick me out, I can’t help you get everything ready!” he blurted, relaxing a bit when you deflated. He wasn’t wrong. You could use the manpower.

“…I hate you,” you sighed eventually, but without any real fire in your words. He simpered apologetically and stood, the picture of the sorry-but-not-really-sorry little kid. Knitting your brow, you took the hand he offered you and pulled yourself up.

Seeing the mildly resentful look you were still shooting him, Casey reached into his pocket and handed you his credit card.

“Come on,” he said, “Stop sulking, and let’s go get your groceries. Wouldn’t want to starve your guests, right?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Case prepare for the guests! You have a moment to introspect.

**True to his** word, he paid for everything. You half expected him to silently die inside, seeing the total of everything the two of you picked up, but Casey only winked at you when you turned to see his reaction.

“Perks of working for AETF,” he hummed, swiping the card, “they have to foot the bill.”

You were glad for his truck, because in the end you left town with more than groceries. You were also glad for your friend’s guiding presence, because otherwise you didn’t think you’d be able to stomach being in public for so long. He really made things…okay, and if you didn’t think that shopping for bedsheet sets, extra toiletries and lamps could ever be remotely enjoyable, you were wrong.

Casey, having actually met the monsters, had quite a bit to say on their possible preferences – things like _“Papyrus will really like those racecar sheets,”_ and _“Toriel struck me as the cozy-knit type of person. Pick the light purple ones.”_

His smile had grown a bit and he had reached over and added a penguin-print set to the overflowing cart, jabbing a thumb at himself when you asked who it was for.

“I meant it,” he said by way of explanation, “I’m really going to stick around for a while.”

He was, you remembered with fresh intensity, truly your best friend.

You also left with a sizable pot and quality soil, hoping that it would somehow appease the evidently super-sardonic flower.

The afternoon that followed was one of the dustiest of your life, punctuated by fifteen-minute breaks sitting on the floor with juice and crackers and Casey snipping at you about cleanliness habits.

It was, looking back, also one of the best days in your life. But then, Casey seemed to give you a lot of those.

 

* * *

 

**Your house was** sizable, to say the least. It rested in the center of a clearing, a three-hour drive from town. There were twelve bedrooms and four bathrooms, a large dining room and two floors. There was a front yard and a backyard, and miles of forest all around. (There was also a lake somewhere, but you were never telling where.)

It was not a house for a single person, but since you weren’t after company anyway, you never minded. Casey had helped you find this place, and that probably made you sentimental.

It was, in a lot of ways, the perfect place for a group of monsters to live. Casey had chosen well, though you almost wished he hadn’t.

The idea of living in close quarters with someone else still made you sweat, and so, their rooms were strategically placed to be across the mansion from yours. Your bedroom was nestled near the back of the house, and you had initially picked it because it was the best spot to watch the sunrise filtering through the trees.

Casey had understood your need to room by yourself, nodding when you showed him where to start making the previously unused beds with the new bedspreads. But he was also, despite his merits, a raging turdball, so when the monsters’ rooms were finished, he set up camp in the room right across from yours – and he looked you right in the eyes as he put his penguin blankets on his bed.

He had ~~asked~~ ~~suggested~~ demanded that you take a break – _I want to listen to my music and put away groceries without you there destroying my vibe_ , were his exact words – and you could hear him humming from the kitchen. What a dork.

You sighed, probably loud enough that the ISS crew heard you, and flopped on your also-made bed (admittedly, it did feel wonderful with the blanket still dryer-warm). Your eyes lighted on the folder left on your nightstand, filled with the basic information, estimated ages, and psychological analyses of all the monsters.

_Toriel, 46. Boss monster. Overall healthy state of mind._

_Asgore, 50. Boss monster. Overall acceptable state of mind. Exhibits mild signs of depression._

_Papyrus, 23. Skeleton. Healthy state of mind. Very high self-esteem. Highly motivated._

_Sans, 26. Skeleton. Unhealthy state of mind. Exhibits nihilistic traits. According to therapist, exhibits signs of potential smiling depression._

_Frisk, 10. Human. Overall acceptable state of mind. Exhibits mild signs of guilt._

_Flowey, X. Flower (ranunculus acris). Unhealthy state of mind. Diagnosed with acute sociopathy. Interaction is not advised. Discretion is highly advised._

You pursed your lips, still unsure that this was a good idea. As a whole, they didn’t seem terrible. Mentally-alright people, you could probably deal with. Heck, maybe you’d even be able to level with the nihilistic skeleton. Though Casey had mentioned him being weirdly perceptive, which was also not in your best interests.

Mostly, the flower had you nervous. _…Discretion is highly advised…_ You only associated the word _discretion_ with psychologically damaging gore. _Viewer discretion advised._

The clinical words blurred in front of your eyes and you tried to imagine, just for a moment, that you could deal with any of this.

 

* * *

 

**You weren’t ready** , but when the day cooled into starlit night and Casey left to go finalize things with ‘the big guys who like paperwork,’ you realized that you didn’t have time not to be.

You found yourself ducking out of the house and making your way down a path you knew by heart. Your footsteps were one of the few sounds in the stillness, apart from some owls and the trees rustling in the wind.

Funny, you thought sometimes. You used to be terrified of the dark, but now it was just there. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that you’d seen darkness – _real_ , heavy darkness. Forests at night just didn’t compare anymore.

You knew you were near your lake because your shoes began to sink into the ground a bit. It was a welcome feeling. You heard the water before you saw it, lapping quietly against the shore. The water was lit up by slivers of bright moonlight, the air around it cool. This was where you went to think, and think you did.

You thought that you weren’t prepared to greet the monsters in the morning. You thought that you would interact with them as little as possible. You thought, aside from the imminent issue, that ever since the Barrier opened up and the monsters came out, this lake felt heavy with a sense of loneliness, and you could never figure out why. Maybe it was because the universe got so much bigger with the return of monsters. Bigger and emptier and lonelier. Maybe.

You never did feel completely at home in the universe anyway.

Hours passed and your worries slowly settled down, if only for a while. You sat there, watching the water ripple until the sky began to pink at the edges again.

You thought that you should get back to the house and start cooking a breakfast fit for a king.

So that was what you did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the monsters will show up later, 'kay?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, there are finally monsters! You meet some of them. Snas has something to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> brace yourselves for probably a torrential outburst of massive ooc because i'm running on -2 sleep

**Today was a** day of firsts, it seemed.

For the first time, you tripped on your way back from the lake. For the first time, you were actually going to have long-term guests (Casey stopped counting a long time ago).

…For the first time, you cooked a respectable, sizable meal, with the dining room table clean and laid out with plates and napkins and cutlery.

And you _only_ burned yourself four times.

Chairs ready, coffee and juice laid out… there wasn’t much else to do, so you figured you could take a moment to lean back and check your phone for just a second.

_Monsters still struggling for employment rights,_ said the news notification on your lock screen.

You winced. Yeah, you could do without that, you figured, and slid the phone back into your pockets. Maybe the monsters’ socioeconomic troubles wasn’t the best thing to have on the brain during breakfast,

“That’s not too much food though,” you asked yourself, surveying the table, “is it?”

You didn’t deign to dignify yourself with a response and instead began the grudging task of washing dishes.

_Wash, dry, put away. Wash, dry, put away…_ you let yourself get lost in the menial task, until your fingertips went pruney and the sink was empty of dishes and you had nothing left to keep yourself occupied.

Nice. You sighed, slumping against the counter.

And then your phone chimed, and you jumped in surprise. (not that you’d tell anyone that ever).

 

**From: Basketcase**

**Hope you’re up, Schwarz, cause our ETA is n o w**

**From: Basketcase**

**I’m serious, love**

**Just pulled up**

**From: Basketcase**

**Hope you’re decent**

Oh.

_Oh._

_Oh no._

 

You barely had time to look up in abject horror when the door opened and Casey walked in.

“Eggs, hash browns, bacon, _and_ crepes?” he asked incredulously, a wide grin spreading on his mouth. “Wow. _You’ve_ been busy!”

 

* * *

 

**Were you supposed** to bow? Curtsey? Maybe do something _other_ than _awkwardly wave like you did?_

You were warned that the king was humongous, but you hadn’t expected him to have to duck as he entered the house. Asgore, monster monarch, entered the foyer after Casey, and the rest of the monsters filed in next.

That had to be Toriel, the former queen – she looked more regal and motherly than you’d anticipated. Oh boy. The goat-woman looked up at you with liquidy brown eyes and smiled. You tried to smile back.

You didn’t realize you’d secured an iron grip on the counter, but you were glad you did – the shouting of the skeleton bounding in rattled you to the core. It was too early for this! _Too early!_

“HUMAN! DO NOT FRET; THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS ARRIVED!”

The Great Papyrus’ scarf fluttered behind him and he struck what you thought was the most over-the-top pose you had ever seen. If you hadn’t been so caught up in the fact that _dear lord they’re here they’re here what do I do_ , you would have laughed. He really was like a kid superhero.

Casey met your eyes and cast you a subtle wink.

The next pair to come in were far quieter than the Great Papyrus, and somehow managed to set you on edge even more.

There was the small child, Frisk, sleepily taking in every detail of your home that they could… with a little potted flower nestled in their arms.

You braced yourself for acerbic vitriol to spew out of the flower’s mouth, biting your lip uncertainly – but there was nothing. Flowey slumped in his pot, glancing with thinly veiled interest at his surroundings. Actually, he was looking more like a pouty child than an emotionally dangerous plant; albeit a pouty child who yearned for the death of society.

You weren’t emotionally prepared for anything right now, honestly. You looked to Casey for guidance and he favored you with a half-smile. The silence was pressing, and though it probably only lasted two seconds, it was enough to jolt you into speaking.

Welcome them to your home. Introduce yourself. Be charming. Don’t be weird. _Don’t_ be weird!

“I… hi,” you said quietly. “I’m Y/N L/N, and I made food.”

_Nailed it._

 

* * *

 

 

**Casey’s laughter bounced** off the walls following your grand announcement, and the silence, to your relief, was broken.

The goat-queen Toriel made her way towards you, and you had a half-second to think that she was actually a rather lovely monster and not too frightening before she gently took your hand between her paws.

“My child,” she told you warmly, “you don’t know what a kindness you are giving us by letting us stay here. We are all _very_ grateful to you.”

“It’s not a problem, Your Majesty,” you replied on autopilot. Only it _was_ a problem, but she didn’t need to know that.

The queen let out a friendly laugh.

“Just ‘Toriel’ is fine, my child. Technically, I am no longer Queen of the Underground, and this is your home.”

Oh.

“Well, thank you, Toriel, but –”

“HUMAN! I SEE YOU HAVE PREPARED AN IMPRESSIVE BANQUET!” Papyrus exclaimed. “THOUGH YOU NEEDN’T HAVE WORKED ALONE; I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THAN GLAD TO OFFER MY ASSISTANCE IN THE KITCHEN!”

Generally, larger-than-life people made you nervous. Papyrus was certainly larger-than-life, but at the moment you didn’t feel much more than unused to the volume he spoke at. Maybe it was because he had the bearings of a child, and that resonated with you?

You smiled slightly.

“Thank you, Papyrus – ah, the _Great_ Papyrus. I’ll keep that in mind next time I cook, okay?”

If skeletons could blush, you suspected he would be bright red then – if his startled reaction was anything to go by.

“ER, I _AM_ INDEED UNDENIABLY GREAT,” he stammered, “BUT SINCE YOU ARE NOW A FRIEND OF MINE, YOU ARE ALSO GREAT. THEREFORE, SIMPLY ‘PAPYRUS’ WILL DO, HUMAN.”

He was certainly something else. You imagined him as a life coach for a second, and the thought was both amusing and somehow plausible at the same time.

“I’m honored then, Papyrus.” You considered. “Do you, uh…want to help me serve everyone?”

The tall skeleton beamed.

“I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ASSIST!” he crowed, and once you pointed out where all the plates were, he was off, barking out a _nyeh-heh-heh!_ as he went.

You laughed helplessly and made to follow. From the dining room, you could hear Casey directing everyone to a seat and offering to serve drinks. As overwhelming as this was…maybe it wouldn’t be all bad.

“if i didn’t know any better, i’d say you never had guests over before,” observed a low, drawling, and thoroughly unfamiliar voice.

You ~~yelped~~ ~~shrieked~~ flinched, whirling around with wide eyes – only to find the one monster you hadn’t seen yet. Short, bony, and wearing a perpetual smile.

“sorry, kid. didn’t mean to _rattle your bones._ ”

“You, uh –” Your heart wasn’t pounding from the scare, no sir. “You must be Sans.”

“got it in one,” he agreed with a nod. “and you’re the kid kaiser told us about. schwarz, right?”

“Y/N, actually,” you corrected lightly, smiling bashfully. “Schwarz is an inside joke that Casey won’t let go of.”

“huh. cool. y/n, then…” Sans regarded you with an expression that was somehow casual and piercing at once. “mind if i ask why you’re acting like the stranger in your own house?”

So Casey _wasn’t_ lying about his super-intuitive powers. You grimaced, realizing that this skeleton could probably see through any façade you put up.

Sighing, you glanced away.

“I’m not comfortable with people, I guess,” you admitted. “I’m used to being alone. This is… _really_ new territory for me.”

“it’s new territory for us, too,” Sans replied, tilting his head. “but you had a choice. why’d you even agree to this if you’re a loner?”

“Well, because… I mean –” Why _did_ you agree? Well, because Casey asked, but that seemed like a really feeble reason now. “I figured I owed it to Casey – um, Agent Kaiser. And it’s not like I don’t have the room to help out, you know?”

Sans nodded, but you weren’t entirely sure that he was convinced. After a long pause, he let out a breath.

“well, hopefully that’s the only reason,” he began, looking you straight in the eye. The room suddenly seemed a little colder, and you tensed. “see, pal, we’ve been aboveground for about six months now, and one of the things you come to realize as a monster is that most of humankind doesn’t care about what happens to you. a lot of them actually want you gone and will do some pretty low things to get rid of you and the people you care about. so, because of that, you don’t really trust humans so much. or at all.”

He leaned in close, and despite the fact that you were at least a foot taller than him, you found yourself taking a step back. You grabbed your wrist nervously; you were shaking. Why was it so cold?

Sans’ eyes had darkened completely, and he came to his ultimatum. Goosebumps rose on your arms when he spoke.

“basically, what i’m getting at,” he warned, deadly quiet, “is that if you make one move i don’t like, you’re _really_ not gonna like what comes next.”

_Oh._

You weren’t sure you were breathing anymore. You backed away from Sans a couple more steps, averting his eyes. He suddenly reached forward and you could have sworn your heart dropped to your stomach because _what was he going to do to you oh gosh oh gosh…_

“heh, sorry about that,” Sans said, offering your hand to shake. “just had to get that out of the way. you okay, pal?”

“I… yeah,” you breathed. _No,_ you meant. _No, I am not okay. What was that?_

It was strange. For a second you could have sworn that was concern coloring his tone. Slowly, you accepted his hand –

A sharp _pppbbbthhh_ cut through the air. Sans chuckled, pulling the whoopee cushion out of his hand.

“heh. that never gets old.”

You were inclined to disagree, but whatever.

“Schwarz!” Casey shouted from the dining room.

“SANS!” Papyrus shouted at the same time.

The short skeleton grinned wryly at you as if he hadn’t just scared you half to death.

“welp, no use standing around,” he shrugged. “let’s go get some grub.”


End file.
